Sunny Dua
Finally, Minister of State for external affairs M J Akbar became first casualty of #MeToo movement that has taken the country by storm. By stepping down following a spate of allegations of sexual harassment during his days as editor of several publications by women journalists – including Priya Ramani, Akbar has paved a way for fair trial but also described accusations as false. This might give solace to many, but their fight is far from over as the trial followed by a judgment will say who’s guilty and to what extent followed by quantum of sentence. That would be the D-day and a watershed moment.
Amid these allegations and counter allegations, what needs to be understood is that this #MeToo campaign is more about highlighting diminishing morality at workplaces and everywhere else than fixing guilty. It’s more about paving a way for next generation to work in most conducive atmosphere than becoming a silent victim. It’s more about telling fellow men to behave than telling women to surrender to predatory wills and whims of their bosses. It’s more about raising a voice and saying that ‘I too’ have been sexually harassed, assaulted and exploited than staying mum and suffer.
All such advances or unpleasant gestures of a patriarchal society if unveiled today will definitely kill predatory instincts #MeToo way. Excessive use of brute command/authority in any profession that falsely empowered one to do anything with any women has finally burst with #MeToo campaign. This was to happen, sooner or later! While it looks good to see women speaking their heart out through this campaign, a section of women also oppose these utterances justifying that a big ‘NO’ to advances or sexual gestures made right at the first instance could have nipped the evil in the bud.
But then this too finds an argumentative logic that girls at that stage of life can’t muster enough courage to STOP their predators, tense their parents, lose a job, find right words to speak up or handle swift actions and instead stay confused, think multiple times before hitting back, find solace in crying or don’t report the matter to police seeing complications thereafter and even don’t tell bosses or colleagues who themselves are the ones amongst destructive organisms located well within the system. This submissiveness not only makes them a soft target but also leaves their hearts and soul pierced and bleeding.
To overcome these issues or taboos #MeToo campaign is not only giving wings to women but also liberating them to stand out tall against all odds that are decaying our social fiber where women after long drawn struggles have found their way to work places. Working for women earlier was socially or culturally prohibited. Instead of giving these oppressed and suppressed women a congenial atmosphere we have made workplaces virtual traps where we plan and execute our ill deeds in a way that women are made to understand that this has to happen for career and it’s OK whereas it’s actually not OK. There’s a fine line drawn between Yes and No and that needs to be understood as simply as saying ‘No’ or ‘Yes’ to a cup of tea.
Be it glamour filled film industry, journalism, judiciary, corporate world, Government offices, educational institutions, public transport, sports, homes, religious places, politics, medicine and other work places women are subjected to a peer pressure to surrender or see the door. The places which should have been safe and growth centers have become cages to train animals to suit men’s needs. This won’t go down the throat of many well but the fact is that predatory skills have become so well accepted that they are being treated as part of job to do.
This mindset needed a sea change and no law like the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act but a frivolous #MeeToo campaign did the job. Many will lose their battle against powerful and many false accusations will spoil others’ lives but workplace cleansing that will be done thereafter will enable many more women to work, rise and show the world what can be achieved if an atmosphere of competitiveness that’s free from sexual harassment or exploitation is provided to the them.
The murmuring about who’s who that earlier died down in din before doyens of respective fields has become a voice today. Attempts to silence this would be futile & catastrophic. So, let that be unveiled which till date was an ‘Open Secret’. This #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault that spread virally after the sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein encouraged may to speak their hearts out without feeling any guilt. This was the turning point. There’s no doubt that some women are willing to offer sexual favors for their growth but then again difference between ‘Consent’ and ‘No’ needs to be understood.
The right purpose of this drive is to empower women through empathy, especially young and vulnerable women. Jammu and Kashmir too have faced such cases of harassment and exploitation at workplaces due to which while many had to leave jobs other went into deep depression. Since women couldn’t muster courage to fight back they preferred to suffer in silence. In some cases those who raised voices were not taken seriously by their employers or authorities and finally their #MeToo voices stayed confined to a few hundred emoticons supported by few scores of comments of their friends sympathizing with them.
Hundreds of women in our State face unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances and the predators go unpunished. We need to understand that giving employment doesn’t entitle one to make advances, academicians don’t get right to exploit women doing doctorate under them, journalists don’t become objects if they are provided with a platform to write, employees don’t become accessible if bosses affect promotions or force stop their transfers, sportspersons learning skills from their mentors need not surrender, actors don’t have to sleep with producers or directors to get roles and likewise judiciary or other areas don’t get entitlement to exploit women lawyers just because they aspire to make a mark in male dominated society.
More laws might be enacted in days to come to stop harassment and exploitation of women at workplaces and the suppressed voices of today might become a full-fledged movement but I still believe that it’s more to do with morality than anything else. In days to come women who are subjected to domestic violence might raise a similar campaign or for that matter women denied entry into religious places might start a hashtag saying #MeToo want to enter the sanctum sanctorum thereby making millions to converge at a place to give a push but still morality amongst both sexes will remain key ingredient of faith, trust and respect that will end this moment.
Meantime, those who understand sensitivity of mater must stay calm and allow voices of women – right or wrong be heard but those white-collared who believe that education and their knowledge entitles them to make any women their subject must correct themselves before it’s too late. Strangely many high profile and well educated are being names in this campaign which is worth to happen to India. To sum this up, I would say in Punjabi, “Wah Bhai Wah, Padniya Pothia Te Kam Karne Aah” (Kudos Bro Kudos! Obtaining so much of education/knowledge only to be used for doing this work)
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